9 Ways Your Restaurant Can Get the Most Out of Yelp

9 Ways Your Restaurant Can Get the Most Out of Yelp

9 Ways Your Restaurant Can Get the Most Out of Yelp2013-10-032016-03-02http://www.buzztime.com/business/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/logo_medium1.pngBuzztimehttp://www.buzztime.com/business/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Screen-Shot-2013-10-03-at-8.58.35-AM.png200px200px

Of course you’ve heard of Yelp…you’ve probably even looked up reviews there (or checked out reviews of your own restaurant). But how do you use the review site to help you? Use these tips to make sure you’re taking advantage of Yelp:

1. Check out your competition.

Channel your inner detective and do a little bit of snooping around your competitors’ profiles. What information do they have on their profiles? Are their reviews positive or negative? What are their pictures like? What do customers like or dislike?

2. Unlock your account.

If your business is already listed on Yelp (and if you’ve been in business for awhile, it almost certainly is), be sure to claim your profile! This means you can add or correct information and interact with your customers.

3. Complete your profile.

This is where you can fill in your restaurant’s name, address, hours, website, and any other pertinent information. This is all extremely important, as your Yelp profile is where many of your potential customers will find you. You want to be sure they’re getting accurate information.

4. Add photos.

When it comes to food, pictures can often say way more than words. Make sure you have appetizing shots of your food—if the shots don’t look good, you’ll be turning customers away instead of attracting them. And be sure to include some photos of your décor, your staff, and the outside of your restaurant. Customers like to get an idea of what they’ll be walking into before they show up.

5. Read your reviews.

Don’t let customers talk about you behind your back…join in! This isn’t to say that you need to (or should) respond to every review, but take advantage of the fact that you can interact with your customers. Did someone have a great time? Leave a quick note to say you appreciate their business and hope to see them again. If someone had a terrible experience, you can apologize and offer to make it right.

6. Always be polite.

Responding to reviews won’t help you if you’re getting defensive or insulting customers who give you bad reviews. Remember that everyone can see your comments, and keep it polite. Don’t bother giving excuses…just apologize and try to make it up to the customer.

7. Quote your reviews.

Did you get a particularly positive review from a happy customer? Put a quote from him or her on your website. Potential customers who check out your website will see how much other people love your restaurant!

8. Pay for advertising.

Being on Yelp is generally free, but if you have the extra bucks to spend, consider advertising. You’ll get extra features and your competitors’ ads will be removed from your listing.

9. Add a Yelp button to your website.

This will encourage customer to leave a review or check out reviews from others. However, keep your general Yelp rating in mind if you decide to do this…you might not want to push customers towards your Yelp page if most of your reviews are negative.

Whether you love or hate Yelp, restaurant owners can’t really avoid it. You might as well take advantage of it! By keeping these tips in mind, you can create a Yelp presence that attracts customers and shows off your restaurant.

Are you currently using Yelp to help get more customers through your door?

Trusted by thousands of bars and restaurants in North America since 1984, Buzztime integrates trivia, card, sports games and live events with innovative tablet technology. While we don't take ourselves too seriously, this is pretty serious business.